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The fourth trimester struggle is real – especially with added chicken pox!
It seems so long ago since the third trimester update. You probably don’t want the full birth story (well maybe in a separate post) so in short we walked in, Baby got pulled out then we left the next day. Suddenly the newborn memories we selectively forgot came flooding back! The crying, pooing, feeding, crying, pooing, feeding and sleeping (not just talk about baby here haha). Now that he’s 3 month old boy there’s a bit of playing thrown in there too. So what’s this Fourth Trimester thing? Apparently, it is the period after birth until your baby is 3 months old. It’s usually characterised by plenty of change in…
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Breast is best, fed is best, informed is best, let’s call the whole thing off!
It’s World Breastfeeding Week so naturally social media is full of controversial feeding-related posts around “Breast is best”, “Fed is best” and “Informed is best”. Is a feeding slogan needed? Probably not! Is it helpful? I very much doubt it! Does it raise awareness? Unlikely! Well, unless there women out there who do not know the biological function of boobs. I am currently breastfeeding our latest addition but I’m fully aware that there’s a wide spectrum between breast and bottle. Let’s take a moment to admire these beautiful breastpads by Bambooty and the look on Baby J’s face. He can see that the feeding gloves are off! I get a similar…
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Father’s day last minute Yoda card craft & present
I love a good craft project though what I lack in skill, I make up for in enthusiasm! My kids now give me the perfect excuse to indulge in various “holiday” crafts. Father’s day is no different. Yes, I know it’s made up. Yes, daddies should be celebrated all year round not just on one day. However, I’m not feeling it this year. Last year I, I mean we, made a card and got cute family photo magnets. I love looking at those on fridge. The good news is that I decided to make a card this year. But it’s the day before Father’s Day (a Saturday) and my husband…
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Baby J’s Due Date – May the Fourth Be With You
Baby J’s due date at the 12 week scan was 04 May, which to us, was just a date. It wasn’t until we got a few bemused, almost doubting responses, that we tweaked the significance. Not sure how my husband, who really loves Star Wars, managed to miss it! He can’t even blame the hormones haha. I quickly put together the below to share the news with the remaining friends and family. Could have done so much more if we’d realised sooner. And before we knew it, baby’s due date had come round. What better way to mark it than to dress my babies up in star wars vests and…
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Choosing a Name for our Second Baby
It’s getting really close to the wire and we’re yet to decide on a name for our second baby. First time round wasn’t easy but we eventually came to a decision for each gender with time to spare before the birth. This time round is proving more involving! Probably because we’re having the same gender again so can’t use our already prepared name. So what’s on the criteria list? 1. Complements the other names There are names that go well together and others that go too well together – like alliterations. Saying it out loud has really helped us weed out quite a few. We also write it down and…
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Maternity Leave: Expectation vs Reality
I worked up till a week before my due date, in the height of summer, so I was more than ready to start my maternity leave. I was looking forward to having more time to spend on me, baby and those projects I have been putting off. I had no close mummy friends yet for the “real” experience so phrases like ‘Bet you can’t wait to be on holiday for a year’ just fuelled my excitement. Oh the naivety! Expectation: Regular meet up with friends Reality: Leaving the house became a monumental task. On the rare occasion I made it on time, I felt I deserved a medal. In the…
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Walking With Two Under 2 – Double Buggy vs Baby Carrier vs Buggy Board
As a first-time mum-to-be, I did my fair share of pram-watching, making a mental note of brand names and imagined myself pushing my precious little bundle in them. Turns out there are a trillion options available which made the actual pram shopping experience a bit traumatic. I had to buy a stroller 10 months later as a travel system is just too faffy for a toddler. The fun doesn’t stop there, as I’ll have 2 under 2 soon so I’ll need a means of transporting them both. Or maybe I’ll just stay at home till the toddler can walk safely! So what are my options? Baby Carrier First child didn’t…
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Dear First Time Mum – The Cold Season Won’t Last Forever
I can just about remember the first time my baby had a cold. I felt utterly helpless as he struggled to breathe, especially at night. Now we’ve been through several weather seasons and still surviving the nursery germs, what will I do differently with baby number 2? Hello there, I bet you’re reading this during the 2am feed. However, the little one is off his food because he’s got the sniffles. He can’t breathe through his nose properly and you have no way of telling him to use his mouth. A cough had started too. It’s it tickly or chesty? Either way, it’s disrupting hours sleep and you weren’t getting…
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From Childhood to Motherhood – What Mother’s Day Means to Me
Celebrated at Church My earliest memory of Mother’s Day is doing something at church for all mothers. The service usually involved well-rehearsed plays by kids, singing, and giving out a few trophies to mums. Every denomination marked it on a different Sunday so it wasn’t really a country-wide holiday but it was certainly orchestrated by the Church. I didn’t have to do anything special for my mum outside of that (well nothing I can remember anyway). My mum certainly didn’t demand it so it was all fairly easy-going. Celebrated by Text I only learnt about Mothering Sunday as “holiday” after moving to a different country. It really struck me how…
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Third Trimester Pregnancy Update (Week 30)- Has the Countdown Begun?
Can’t quite believe I’m in the third trimester already. 30 weeks! The countdown should be well underway but that would highlight how unprepared I am – emotionally, mentally and physically. What’s changed since the halfway update? Wriggly Baby I started feeling baby move quite early on which was lovely. I was dreading the kicking and jumping on bladder phase but baby is more of a wriggler than a kicker. Movements appear gentler (for now) or maybe my tolerance levels have increased since first baby. Heavier Bump OK, this may seem like a ‘duh’ observation but the weight issue only hit me at the 30 week mark. Turning in bed suddenly…
